At the core of the program is the idea that there is no separation between what happens within the church and what happens in the government.
Cecilia Lenzen
Cecilia Lenzen is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and was a 2022 summer reporting fellow. She has worked as a fellow at the Fort Worth Report and freelanced for The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Observer, Daily Dot and other Texas news publications. Previously, she served as editor in chief of The Shorthorn, UT-Arlington's student newspaper.
![Scarlett Anderson, an Austin resident and birth parent who chose adoption for their biological child, said they believe adoption was ultimately the best choice for their now 2-year-old daughter but the decision has weighed heavily on them. “I actively vote pro-choice because [adoption] is not for everybody,” they said.](https://i0.wp.com/www.texastribune.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Scarlett20Anderson20MM20TT2001-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)
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Texas Abortion Restrictions
Can adoption replace abortion? Experts say it’s a lot more complicated than it sounds
Experts on adoption and abortion say lawmakers must work to provide financial and mental health support to birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptees in order to make the adoption process a better option for those with unwanted pregnancies.
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State Government
Phone bills are about to go up for some in Texas. Here’s why.
The rate increase will help replenish a state fund to maintain and operate cellphone networks in rural Texas. A court determined the state’s Public Utility Commission needed to restore $200 million in overdue money to the fund.
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Courts
Jury awards parents of Sandy Hook victim more than $45 million in punitive damages in Alex Jones defamation case
Lawyers for the parents asked the jury to end Jones’ “gold rush of fear and misinformation.” He’ll owe a total of nearly $50 million to the parents.
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Climate Change in Texas
EPA says it is looking for “super-emitters” of methane gas in Texas’ Permian Basin
The federal environment agency says it will continue flyovers of the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico until Aug. 15 using infrared cameras to survey oil and gas operations.
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Courts
Jury awards parents of Sandy Hook shooting victim $4.1 million in defamation case against Alex Jones
The parents sought $150 million in their defamation lawsuit against the conspiracy theorist. The jury could still issue more damages in an upcoming phase of the trial.
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Politics
Lawyers for Alex Jones turned over evidence that contradicted his testimony
After years of telling his followers the Sandy Hook school shooting was staged, Jones admitted on the stand that the massacre was real. He is being sued in Austin by parents of one of the shooting’s victims.
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Courts
Parents of Sandy Hook shooting victim call for accountability in Alex Jones’ defamation trial
The parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis are suing Jones for falsely claiming that the 2012 mass school shooting was a hoax meant to take away Americans’ guns. The trial is the first of three to determine monetary penalties against the Texas-based conspiracy theorist for his lies about the tragedy.
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Health care
Here’s what you need to know about 988, the new mental health crisis hotline
The current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will still remain available by calling 1-800-273-8255, but experts say the new three-digit code will be easier to remember during mental health emergencies.
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Courts
Ken Paxton seeks to dismiss state bar’s lawsuit against him over his attempt to overturn the 2020 election
The Texas attorney general said that the suit was politically motivated and that the state bar has no authority to police the decisions of his office.